When Diana Lescure moves with her young family to the tiny village of Saint Gabriel in the depths of France, it is clear that not all is well amongst its inhabitants. As she settles into her country idyll she uncovers a menace that has shrouded the villagers for generations. Through a 12th century monk and a British agent in WW2, the story of a secret society unfolds.
This is a cleverly written book, intertwining three very different tales.
First, we meet Diana and her family as they make the move from Paris to the heart of rural France. This very contemporary tale could easily stand alone, but the weaving-in of the other two stories – that of a female British agent working in Diana’s village in WW2 and that of a 12th-century monk who travels to the area – definitely adds extra layers of interest that really draw you in.
The book does get off to a bit of a slow start as the three stories all need building up, but the way they all come together at the end is very deftly handled and makes for a very satisfying read.
The main characters are all well-developed and the overlapping stories let the author touch on a whole range of themes, from love, friendship, betrayal, courage, belief, with a good dose of suspense and intrigue.
As I live in a small French village myself, I often found myself smiling at Diana’s experiences with her new neighbours – there were definitely some familiar-sounding moments! And an extra source of personal enjoyment was learning that she’d studied at Jussieu and frequented the same pub as me when I was a student there!
A thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from Susan Louineau.
Books&Livres 